On March 22, Narita International Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture presented a gift of 100 cherry blossom trees to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), the agency that manages the international airports in the United States capital of Washington, D.C.

This year is the 100th U.S.-Japan Cherry Blossom Anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, Narita Airport gave its American counterpart 100 saplings, one for each year of the relationship between the two organizations that run capital-area airports in their respective countries. The young trees were planted at Ronald Reagan National Airport, the closest airport to downtown Washington, D.C.

Attending the planting ceremony were MWAA CEO John Potter and Narita Airport Vice President Harubumi Kobori. The two men joined in the planting, shared ideas, concluded a "sister airport" agreement and otherwise confirmed the importance of strengthening the airports' relationship. Commemorative plates were installed at the site of the ceremony printed with the speeches given that day, including one expressing gratitude for U.S. assistance to Japan in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 through April 27 in Washington, D.C. The highlights of the festival, the street festival and parade, were a major spectacle on the 14th.